Ghost hunting shows have been a staple on television for decades, with series such as Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures running for years. Even though we queer people love horror, and there has been a plethora of paranormal TV shows over the years, only a handful of them feature out ghost hunters.
To celebrate Hulu’s new queer paranormal series, Living for the Dead, which premiered this week, here’s a guide to some of the queerest ghost hunting shows that will transform Spooky Season into a spoo-kiki…
Living for the Dead
From the creators of Queer Eye, and executive produced and narrated by Kristen Stewart, the new Hulu series follows a group of queer paranormal investigators led by Roz Hernandez, comedian and host of the Ghosted! podcast. Not only do the Ghost Hunties travel to iconic locations like the world famous Clown Motel, and the Copper Queen Hotel, they also stop by a local gay bar — and there’s even an episode with a drag queen ghost. What more could you ask for from a queer ghost hunting show?
Premieres Oct. 18 on Hulu.
Paranormal State
The A&E series followed the Penn State University Paranormal Research Society, led by Ryan Buell, who came out as bisexual in his 2010 memoir, My Journey Into the Unknown. This reality series ran for six seasons, from 2007-2011, and not only was it notable because it starred college students, but it also featured paranormal researchers like Chip Coffey and Michelle Belanger, who are still a staple on supernatural reality series today. Paranormal State also introduced a new generation to the legendary Lorraine Warren, who appeared on several episodes over the years, and would later be played by Vera Farmiga in the widely popular The Conjuring film series.
Streaming on Discovery+
Kindred Spirits
What if Will and Grace were ghost hunters? That’s the premise behind Kindred Spirits, starring best friends Amy Bruni and Adam Berry. But instead of swapping sitcom-worthy witty quips, the duo travel the country helping people deal with their haunted houses. Kindred Spirits has aired for seven seasons — and while the future of the series is currently up in the air — Bruni and Berry are keeping busy with other paranormal projects, such as Bruni’s popular podcast, Haunted Road, and Berry recently releasing his first book, Goodbye Hello.
Streaming on Max and Discovery+
Halloween Gayance
Ghost hunting shows are a scary good time, but what would make them even better? Drag queens, of course. Are we the only ones who would watch queens stomp through abandoned buildings that are supposedly haunted? Or get so scared that their wigs fly off as they run screaming? That’s the premise for Halloween Gayance, a Logo short starring RuPaul’s Drag Race legends Jiggly Caliente, Peppermint, and Thorgy Thor, as they search for spooky specters using a Ouija board and ghost hunting apps on their phones. They eventually find what could be a haunted doll, and no, it’s not Lil Poundcake — but almost as scary.
Available on YouTube
Queer Ghost Hunters
Queer Ghost Hunters is taking spoo-kikis to the next level. Not only are the paranormal investigators part of the LGBTQ community, they are also looking for the queer-ly departed. Searching places like cemeteries, and abandoned prisons and asylums, where queer people may have been wrongly locked up in the past.
Available on YouTube
Conjuring Kesha
In 2022, pop icon and LGBTQ ally, Kesha, starred in her own supernatural docuseries, Conjuring Kesha, where she explored every corner of the paranormal from ghosts to bigfoot and mysterious cults. In the final episode, the “Praying” singer brings along her friend Big Freedia to explore the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia — and things get scary, quick. From hearing human screams down empty hallways to mysterious footprints and scratch marks appearing, this episode has it all. The activity ramps up even more when Kesha and Freedia are joined by psychic medium Chip Coffey who helps them free the spirits who are trapped in the asylum.
Streaming on Max and Discovery+
Trending Fear
Illustrator Adam Ellis became a viral sensation when he detailed the real-life haunting of his New York apartment in a Twitter thread known as “Dear David.” Now his experiences are being turned into a new movie starring Augustus Prew, but Ellis is no stranger to onscreen ghosts. Back in 2019, Ellis, along with his best friend Jen Lewis, teamed up with paranormal investigator Paul Bradford for Trending Fear, which mixed tech and social media with spooky spirits.
Streaming on Discovery+
New Blood
Earlier this year, supernatural TV staple Michelle Belanger launched — and successfully funded — a Kickstarter for a new supernatural project that is actually two series. The first one is New Blood which “documents the mysterious world of vampirism,” and then there’s Inhuman Beings, which features a “queer Scooby-Doo gang” as they travel to locations “with a reputation for high strangeness.” A premiere date has yet to be announced, but the official Instagram account says New Blood will premiere later this year with Inhuman Beings launching in Spring ‘24.
Available online later this year
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I’m embarrassed for all of them.